The Belcher League
by Hcobb
Summary: The Belcher kids as their obvious Justice League counterparts.
1. Chapter 1

The Belcher League  
By Henry Cobb

One day the three Belcher kids were walking home from Wagstaff School when Tina was suddenly surrounded by a bubble of green light.

"Tina!" Louise and Gene cried out in surprise as their oldest sister was carried in the bubble up into the air and then away into the sky out of sight.

Tina looked back in shock at her younger siblings, but soon shifted around inside her bubble to look forwards. She looked not at the sky and clouds which had always been above her all her life, but rather at the ground as it sped faster and faster below her. She caught a glimpse of a horse ranch miles inland and then the bubble flew up into the clouds.

As the bubble emerged above the clouds Tina saw that the bubble was heading in a westerly direction, towards the late afternoon Sun. She held her breath for a moment as the rising bubble rose to such a height that the daytime sky grew dark above her and the curve of the Earth was visible below. Then she resumed breathing normally, with no difficulty despite the great altitude the bubble flew.

"Am I being abducted into space?" She wondered to herself, but then the path of the bubble slowly nudged down and it began to descend somewhere in the American southwest.

As the bubble descended it slowed down. When she felt certain she was almost at her destination she was able to read a sign she flew past.

"Welcome to Roswell, New Mexico. No spaceship crashes for the past _ days."

She saw a worker on a ladder raising the digit Zero up to the sign then she flew past to be dropped gently on her feet a short distance from a crashed flying saucer in a desert cannon.

She stepped up to the craft and saw an alien holding his left hand against the wound on his chest. "Oh my gosh! Are you alright?"

"No, I am dying." His lips didn't move, but Tina heard the words in her head.

"Here, let me get you to help." She stepped forwards, but stopped when he held up his right hand. She noticed then that he was clad in a tight green and white uniform with a green ring on his right hand.

"No, there is no time for that." His voice sounded in Tina's head again. "This ring has chosen you because you combine the honesty, imagination, willpower and courage to use it to uphold justice."

Tina nodded. "I am a strong independent woman at peace with myself." She lied to him and herself.

"Take the ring and the lantern. Defend your planet and your sector. Await word from the Corps and beware of Ack-ka!" He convulsed and then lay still.

The ring flew from his his hand to her left. She was surrounded by a green glow. When this faded she saw that her clothing had been replaced by a green and white uniform of the same pattern. She looked down and saw a lantern symbol in green on the chest.

She turned back to the alien to see what she could do for him when suddenly the flying saucer exploded. She crossed her arms in front of her face, then lowered them when she saw she had been protected by another of those green bubbles, which just as suddenly vanished. The saucer was gone, but lying in the crater was a green lantern, which she decided to take with her.

She looked around. "My parents must be worried. How do I get home from here?"

Bob and Linda Belcher were indeed concerned. They sent their remaining children to their rooms and called the police.

Louise heard her parents arguing loudly with Sergeant Bosco in their living room. How dare they dismiss the story she had told them? This time she wasn't lying. Even Gene backed her up, word for word.

She turned to her window and said to the next building three feet away, "No way are the police going to solve this case. It's up to me, but first I need a weapon." She pulled a book out from under her mattress, put it in her backpack, then crept out her door, down the stairs then out into the street.

When she reached the school she tried several windows until she found one that was unlocked. She walked through the corridors, stopping only to hide from the janitor.

In the chemistry lab she pulled her copy of The Anarchist Cookbook out of her backpack and read it by her flashlight. Then she turned to the racks of chemicals to make her selection.

Gene, as was his habit when alone in his room, lay on his bed in just his underpants, thinking about what had happened that afternoon.

He arose when he heard somebody walking down the stairs under his room. "Tina?" He looked out the window and saw Louise walking down the sidewalk. He was about to follow her when he noticed his state of undress.

He quickly put on his clothes and shoes, but by the time he too had reached the sidewalk there was no sign of either of his sisters. "Louise must have gone after Tina, but where?" He looked up at the thick clouds. "She went into the sky. I need a plane!"

Gene headed out the opposite direction Louise had gone. In a few minutes he reached his destination. "Kurt's seaplane, it's here." He untied the aircraft, got inside and fiddled with the controls as it drifted away from the pier. With a sputter the engine started. The plane bounced off the waves for a while until Gene pulled back on the stick and it rose slowly into the sky. After a few minutes he was able to puzzle out how to steer it and headed west, into the gathering storm.

He flew for a few minutes into the lighting flashes but then a sudden gust tumbled the plane. He struck his head against the dashboard and passed out.

Back in the chemistry lab Louise frowned at the slowly bubbling red liquid in the beaker in front of her. "That's not what it's supposed to do." She slammed the book closed then turned to look out the window at the storm above.

There was a bright flash as lighting struck through the window at Louise. She jerked backwards into her solution and it exploded around her. Then everything faded to black.

Gene was revived by the cold waters of the Atlantic as he plunged into them. He struggled against the heavy seas to the surface, grabbed onto a piece of wreckage from the aircraft. He paddled for a while, but the cold water sapped his strength and he collapsed back into unconsciousness.

In the American southwest Tina sat on a rock and stared at the ring on her finger. "The alien, he was able to use you to do things, but how? He mentioned honesty, imagination, willpower and courage. Why imagination? If it's a magic ring then perhaps I just need to imagine what I need?" She stood and held the ring up to the sky. "I wish I was home!"

Nothing happened.

Tina sat back down on the rock and looked at the ring. "No, that's not it. Perhaps I need to imagine a form of transportation?" She held her left arm out, closed her eyes and imagined as hard as she could. When she opened her eyes again she jerked back a little because a large lovely green eye was staring back at her.

"Did I make you?"

The horse molded from green light nodded back to Tina.

"Can you take me home?"

It nodded again then knelt before her.

Tina jumped up onto her horse of light, pointed in what she assumed was an easterly direction and shouted "Giddy up!"

The horse rose back to all four hooves and started off at a leisurely gait in the direction Tina had pointed.

"Faster!" She grabbed at its mane as it started to gallop.

"I wish you could fly. Whoop!" Tina clung to its neck as it leapt into the air. The horse now sped along as fast as she had ever ridden in her father's car, the leisurely motions of its legs nowhere close to matching the speed of its flight.

Back at the Belcher residence Bob had gone to summon his two remaining children from their rooms so they could tell the truth about Tina to Sergeant Bosco this time.

"Gene?" Bob looked around his son's empty room. Fearing the worst he dashed to the closet door and threw it open. "Louise?"

"Bob, what's the matter?"

"Linda, they're both gone."

"What, no. I can't have lost all three of my babies on the same day." Lina Belcher rushed to Bob's side and clutched at his arm.

"Sergeant Bosco, I've got two more missing children to report." Bob stopped when he saw the police office was listening to his walky-talky.

Bosco looked back at Bob. "I'm sorry, I've got to go. There's been an explosion at the school."

"It's them. It's our kids Bobby!"

"You don't know that Linda."

"I just know. A mother knows these things."

"Sergeant Bosco, do you mind taking Linda along to the school? I'll wait here in case any of them call home."

"Do you want me to identify the burned bodies of my own babies Bobby?"

"No, it's just so you'll be relieved when you see that it's somebody else."

"I know it's them Bobby. I can't. I just can't look at their poor little mangled bodies. Not now. You go Bobby. I'll wait here. Call me, call me when..." Linda clutched at Bob and sobbed.

"I've got to go now. Are you coming along Bob?"

"Linda, will you be okay?"

Linda nodded to Bob, released him and sat down on their sofa.

Far to the west Tina clung to her horse of light as it galloped on top of the clouds. Then from below she heard police sirens and motioned with her knees for the horse to descend down into the clouds.

A slightly different siren sounded as an ambulance sped past Sergeant Bosco's car in the other direction. Bob looked back at it until it turned the corner. Then he looked forwards at the cloud of black smoke rising from the school.

As soon as the car stopped Bob leapt out and confronted the police officer standing next to the school as the firemen continued to spray the already extinguished rubble of the science lab.

"Did they find any bodies?"

The police officer turned to Bob. "One, a girl."

"How tall was she, what did she look like?"

"I couldn't tell. She was too badly burnt, but the paramedics said she was just clinging to life. So here's hoping."

Bob tried to walk towards the school, but the officer stopped him. "Sorry Sir, no civilians allowed. It's too dangerous."

Bob looked down at the ground, knelt and picked an item out of the mud. He turned it over in his hands. It was badly burnt, but still there was no mistaking that one of a kind bunny hat. "Louise!" He looked back in the direction the ambulance had gone then ran back to the car.

"Bosco, you've got to take me to that hospital!"

"It was one of yours Bob? Yeah, get in. If you can identify the body it'll really speed things up."

"She wasn't dead yet!"

"Yeah, there's always hope."

Tina nudged her horse lower towards the bank surrounded by the police cars with their sirens wailing. "Take us down there..." She thought for a moment. "Emerald. Yes, I'll call you Emerald. If you like that?"

Emerald nodded, at either the command or the naming or both, and flew them down towards the bank.

The police officers looked up and stopped at the sight of the girl who wore green and white except for her maroon backpack, mounted on a flying horse.

Emerald kicked in the doors to the bank and Tina was greeted by a hail of gunfire.

Off in the Atlantic Gene lost his grip and his hand was the last thing to vanish below the waves.

Suddenly a hand that appeared human, but wasn't, reached down and grabbed Gene's wrist and pulled him out of the water. The ancient goddess gathered Gene in her plate clad arms as she rose just above the highest waves. "I must ask a great deal of you, my child. I wish I could wait for your answer but the need is urgent, in this moment of great peril." She kissed Gene on the forehead then she turned to the east and they vanished, leaving only the wave scattered wreckage of the floatplane behind them.

Bob rushed into the emergency room entrance and grabbed a passing doctor by the shoulder. "Did they just bring a girl in here?"

The doctor looked up from the file he had been reading. "Yes, but I'm afraid there's been a mixup."

"Can you take me to her!"

"She's a relative?"

"She's my daughter."

"Yes, yes. Getting a positive i.d. can help to start to sort this out." The doctor used his passkey to open the emergency ward doors and led Bob to one of the rooms.

"Louise!" Bob took two steps in, then turned back to the doctor. "What's wrong with her? why is she lying there? What happened to her?"

"Well, that's the problem. These notes don't make any sense. Burns over ninety percent of the body, three broken limbs, crushed ribs, possible concussion."

"But she doesn't look like any of that?"

"Exactly! There isn't even a mark in her arm from where they said they gave her a saline drip."

"Why is she unconscious?"

"I don't know. Perhaps she bumped her head? We took some x-rays but saw no fractures." The doctor turned to the door. "There you are." He motioned the two paramedics in. "Explain this."

"Explain what?" The taller paramedic asked.

"This girl you brought in doesn't match any of your notes." He handed the folder over.

"Yes, these are our notes, but this isn't the girl we brought in. That girl was very badly burnt."

"If you'll excuse me, mister?"

"Belcher. Bob Belcher."

"Mr. Belcher, if you don't mind waiting here with your daughter I've got a badly injured patient to find. By these notes I suspect I'll find her at the morgue. Just be thankful it's not your daughter."

"I have another daughter missing, and a son."

"Oh. Please just wait here. I may return shortly in case we need. Well, just wait. I'll be back."

Tina sat on Emerald's back and watched amazed as each bullet was stopped by a tiny circle of green light that would briefly appear right in front of her.

The bank robbers, equally astonished, stopped firing. One of them grabbed a bank worker and he turned his weapon on his hostage. "I don't know what kind of stunt you're trying to pull girl, but back away right now or this woman gets it."

Tina looked around the bank lobby. Could she order Emerald to move quickly enough to disarm all of the robbers before any of the hostages were shot. No, horses were never violent.

"Hurry up and get out of here, or she gets it!" The leader of the bank robbers held his pistol against the head of his hostage.

"Violence isn't the answer, love is!" Tina held her left fist forwards.

The bank robbers were so focused on her that they didn't notice the hideous green shapes appear around them until it was too late.

Bob's first call was to their neighbor. His second was to home.

"Hello."

"Hello Linda."

"Bobby, she's okay!"

"Yeah, Louise is right here. She's sleeping, but seems okay."

"Oh! Then two of my babies are okay. Is Gene there?"

"No, I haven't seen him. Tina is with you?"

"No, I saw Tina on TV."

"What was she doing on TV?"

"She stopped bank robbery. I'm so proud of our little girl."

"Tina stopped a bank robbery?"

"Well she was wearing a mask and and a strange costume. But she still had her backpack on. Come on Bobby, what other girl on a flying green horse would summon a horde of glowing green zombies to kiss and hug and grope six bank robbers into submission?"

"That sounds like something out of Tina's stories."

"We've got a little super hero in our family, but we've got to keep her secret identity. Nobody must know who the Green Ranger really is."

"So, which bank was this?"

"Some bank in Oklahoma City. Where is my Louise?"

"She's right here in the hospital. Are you sure you're okay to drive?"

"But what if Gene calls?"

"Mort's coming over to listen for the phone."


	2. Chapter 2

Tina Belcher looked up from the tiny green horse dancing in the palm of her left hand when she heard her sister coughing. "Louise, are you alright?"

Louise bent over as she coughed some more. She sat up, swallowed a few times then turned to her sister. "What is it that tastes like smoke?" She looked at the bed she was in and the room they were in. "I'm in the hospital? What happened? I was hit by lightning!" She tossed the sheet to the side and examined her fingers and toes. "Well at least everything seems to still be intact and working."

"What were you doing in the school?"

"Geeze Tina, can't I get one moment to recover?" Louise turned to her sister. "I was looking for you. Where were you taken to, and what's that in your hand?"

"Oh, nothing." Tina closed her hand as she willed Emerald to disappear.

"Never mind that for now. I'm starving. I could eat a horse."

"Horse, horse, who said anything about a horse?"

Louise frowned at her eldest sibling. "Yeah, too small. Tell them to bring me a cow, well done."

"I'll get the nurse." Tina stood up from her chair, then turned back to Louise. "Was Gene with you last night?"

"No, last I saw of him was when we were sent to our rooms after we told our parents about your abduction in a green bubble."

"Green bubble? There's no green bubbles. That's my Louise, always joking." Tina rushed from the room.

The nurse knocked on the open doorframe. "Good morning, may I take your vitals?"

"You can keep them. Just bring me a glass of water and a brunch buffet."

"I'll have to ask the doctor before you can eat anything. I have your name as Louise Be Lecher?"

"Belcher. B-e-l-c-h-e-r. Louise. L-o-u-i-s-e."

The nurse measured Louise's temperature, pulse, blood pressure and had her follow his finger with her eyes.

"So, what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing I can see."

"Does that mean I at least get a cup of water?"

"One, but you'll need to sip slowly."

Louise waited for the nurse to leave then hopped out of the bed, intent on refilling her cup from the sink. She stepped back, climbed back into the bed and lay down.

Tina dashed into the room. "Louise, what's wrong?"

"I'm working on it." Louise closed her eyes and concentrated on the feeling. Then she looked up as she twisted her hand in midair. "The room is turning very slowly this way."

"Very funny Louise... Wait, how did you figure out which direction north is? Have you been to this hospital before?"

"We all have, but I've never been in the emergency room. What I want to know is where you went in your bubble."

"There was no bubble." Tina turned to the door. "Hi Mom and Dad."

Their parents followed a doctor into the room.

"Good morning, Louise, I'm doctor Yan. How are you feeling today?"

"A little dizzy, but I guess that's expected when you're hit by lightning."

"Lightning?"

"It came in from the window."

"I think that explains these notes then." The doctor knelt in front of Louise and shined her flashlight in Louise's eyes.

"Can I have my hat and clothes back?"

"You didn't have a hat on when you were brought in here and your clothes were badly burnt. It's all consistent with a lightning strike. The current went around rather than through you so you looked burnt, but it was just your clothes."

"So, she'll be okay, doctor?"

"Let's see about that dizziness first, mister Belcher. Can you try standing, Louise?"

"I'll try."

Doctor Yan held onto Louise's hands as she sat up and then stepped onto the floor. Louise's first few steps were unsteady, but she quickly learned to filter out this new sense of motion and focus only on the pull of gravity she had felt all of her life.

"See, I'm fine."

"Okay, I'll let you go. Please give us a call if that reoccurs."

"I've brought her clothes, can she change back now?"

"Yes, that's fine, Mrs Belcher."

"Where's my hat?"

"I found it at the school."

"So hand it over, Dad."

"It was badly burnt. I threw it away. We'll get you another."

"Can this day get any worse?"

"Let's give her some privacy so she can change." Doctor Yan led the rest of the Belcher family out into the corridor and pulled the curtain shut at Louise's door.

Tina and Linda hovered over Louise on the walk to the car. Linda silently buckled Louise into the backseat then walked around and sat in the front passenger seat and turned back towards Louise as Bob backed the car out of the parking lot. "So do you know where your brother is?"

"The last moment I saw Gene was when we were sent to our rooms."

"And why did you go to the school Louise?"

"I went looking for Tina."

"Well as you can see she's fine."

"Fine, fine? She got scooped up in a green bubble. How is that fine?"

"You were just traumatized. Tina was actually grabbed by some mean men in a green van. Right Tina?"

"Right Mom."

"Oh, and what did these mean men look like?"

"They put a bag over your sister's head, so she couldn't see them."

"Then how is she here now?"

"She escaped the first chance she got. They shot at her while she was running away. The police even found gunfire residue in her hair so it all checks out. Your sister was very brave last night."

"How did the residue get in her hair if she was wearing a bag over her head?"

"She couldn't very well run with a bag over her head, so she took it off first. Right Tina?"

"Right Mom."

"Who's telling this fairy tale, Tina or you Mom?"

"You know how shy your sister is. She's been traumatized, even more that you were."

When they got back to the restaurant Bob and Tina went downstairs to open for lunch while Linda took Louise upstairs.

Linda insisted on washing Louise herself and then satisfied there were no injuries anywhere on her daughter, dried her off and dressed her.

Louise then put her hoodie on over the green dress, in place of her missing hat.

Mort looked up from his hamburger as mother and daughter entered the restaurant. "Louise! Good to see you're back on your feet, but you really ought to sit. I've been hit by lightning and it can really mess you up."

"Fine." Louise sat on the stool between Teddy and Mort. "I'll have a cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake, Dad."

Bob looked at her from the window between the kitchen and the front counter. "Isn't that a bit much?"

Louise looked around the dinning area, where Tina had stopped taking the order of a young couple seated at one of the tables, then turned back to her father. "Come on dad. I was sent to my room without dinner and they didn't feed me anything at the hospital. I'm starving here!"

"It's okay Bobby." Lina grabbed a tall cup and walked to the shake machine. "Let's humor her for today. She can have the leftovers for a snack later."

Louise's small mouth could only bite off a fraction of the cheeseburger at any one time, but these nibbles followed in swift procession and the cheeseburger vanished quicker than an unfortunate cow that had fallen into a piranha infested river. Louise threw the last handful of fries into her mouth, chewed twice, swallowed and washed it down by scraping out the last of the shake with her straw. "Another please!" She raised the cup in her right hand while pushing the empty plate forwards with her left.

"Absolutely not!" Linda stood across the counter from her youngest daughter.

"Come on Mom. I'm starving here."

"That's enough out of you, young lady. Go up to your room and I'll come check on your tummy-ache later."

"The only thing my tummy is aching for is food. Talk some sense into her, Dad."

"You heard your mother. Go to your room."

"Fine parents you two are." Louise stomped out the door then up the stairs and to her room. She opened the door to her room then slammed it shut without entering. Instead she turned and tiptoed back to the family kitchen.

Balancing on a dinning chair she again felt the strange sensation of the world turning around her. She held on for a moment to fight it back then reached to the back of the top shelf for Bob's secret stash of potato chips.

She had just finished off the bag of chips and a glass of orange juice when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. She relaxed when she heard that they were lighter than an adult's. "What's up Tina?"

"Just coming up to get my coat."

"Going out?"

"Mom needs me to get copies of this missing flier she drew of Gene."

"Let me see. Oh this is perfect. Mom draws Gene even stupider than usual. I'll tag along."

"Okay, I'll get my coat."

"Oh, wait a minute. I'll be right back."

"What's up?"

"Bathroom break!"

Tina was waiting with her coat on when Louise emerged a few minutes later. "If you've made yourself sick you shouldn't come along."

"I only pooped. A big smelly poop. Let's go find Gene so he can make jokes about Louise the smelly pooper."

"That was quick. You just ate."

"I think it's from Friday's lunch. So much has happened that I never got the chance until now."

The sisters went down the street and made fifty copies of the missing flier then returned to the restaurant.

"Louise, are you sure you're well enough to go around handing these out?" Linda asked as she taped one of the copies against the glass front of the restaurant.

"I'll be with Tina. I won't let her out of my sight, but aren't you afraid that those mean men will try to grab her again?"

"I think they've learned their lesson. But Tina, if they show up again be sure and teach them a new lesson."

"Yes Mom."

As they crossed the street Louise looked up at her sister. "What is it with you and Mom today? One moment she says you're shy and helpless, the next moment it's like you're invincible."

"I can be all those things." Tina opened the door to Jimmy Pesto's.

"What are you kids doing here?"

"Jimmy Pesto, my main man. Could you please display one of these missing brother fliers my mom drew in your window?"

He took the flier from Louise. "Stupid Bob can't even keep track of his own kids? Sure, I'll help out. Anything else I can do for you two?"

"Can I have some food please?"

"They don't even feed their own kids? Sure, I've got a calzone just out of the oven. Give it a few minutes and... What are you doing, that's too hot to hold."

Louise didn't respond until after she had eaten the whole thing and licked the still molten cheese off her fingers. "It stings a bit, but it's still so good."

"You hear that? Even the kid from the so-called restaurant across the street loves my food. Louise feel free to come over any time they don't feed you."

"Thanks Mr. Pesto." Louise turned to her sister, who was artfully crying on Jimmy Junior's shoulder. Louise got halfway to her sister when she was suddenly surrounded by twins.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost Ollie." "And I don't know what I'd do if I lost Andy." "But I do know what I'd want if I lost my brother."

"And what is that?"

"A hug!"

The twins grabbed Louise tightly. It took her several seconds to even wiggle her arms free. She froze for a moment then hugged the twins to her. "Thanks."

At the cake store Louise scored a cupcake and then she skipped Reflections "Because the Cranwinkles hate me", in order to rush home for another bathroom break.

And so the sisters continued down the street to Wonder Wharf then around to the next street.

Two dozen shops later Louise looked at the reduced pile of fliers in Tina's arms. "So about halfway?"

"If it's too much of a drag you can just go home. I'll finish handing these out then I'll find Gene."

"How? Are you going to wave a magic wand and bring him back?"

"Something like that."

"Ha! I knew it. Your alien friends have Gene, don't they?"

"Can't be. There was only one and he's gone now. It's not the aliens."

"So you were abducted by aliens!"

"Aliens? There's no aliens. It was mean men in a green van, like Mom says."

"Why is Mom covering for you? What have you done?"

Tina was about to reply when she looked at a car approaching them. The driver was talking on his phone and hadn't seen the girls. Quickly she raised her left fist and pointed it at the car. The car continued to close on them.

Louise grabbed her sister around the waist and tried to shove her out of the way. It was like pushing against a wall. They slowly started to move but Louise's shoes slipped across the asphalt and flailed in midair for what seemed like seconds.

Finally Louise found something solid to push against and launched the two to the side. She risked a glance behind them and saw that she had pushed against the front of the car that had somehow slowed to a crawl. The fliers hung scattered in midair and there was a dark red haze behind them with scattered tiny lightning flashes in it.

"Did I hit my head against the car?" Louise thought, but was unable to speak against air that seemed impossibly dense, if no heavier than usual. For what seemed like a half dozen seconds the girls drifted clear of the car, off the road, over the sidewalk and towards a building.

Louise turned around to be in front of Tina and braced herself against the wall to strain with all of her strength to bring her drifting sister to a stop. Exhausted she dropped to the sidewalk and watched as Tina slowly drifted down on top of her. The only sound Louise heard was the pounding of her own heartbeat in a silent almost motionless world. She struggled to calm herself down.

Suddenly the car resumed its usual velocity as the sounds from all around returned to her. She watched the fliers scatter off the car as it swerved slightly to the side, then pushed against her sister. "Get off me!"

"So that's how that works." Tina glanced down at her ring, then stood and helped her sister to her own feet. "Sorry, guess I don't know my own strength. Are you okay, Louise? Did I hurt you?"

"Your strength! I was the one who pushed us out of the way while you just stood there and tried to wave the car away."

"Oh, ah yes. That must have been what happened. Thanks Louise."

"Well, there goes our fliers." Louise watched them scatter on the breeze.

"I'll get them." Tina held out her left hand but nothing happened. She looked at her ring. "Is it empty?"

"Is what empty?"

"Sorry, Louise, but we've got to go home now. I need to check something out."

"Check what out?"

"Oh, nothing important."

The girls walked back home where Tina dashed upstairs while Louise walked into the restaurant and sat on one of the stools. "Another cheeseburger please!"

"Another?" Linda turned to her daughter. "You really are trying to make yourself sick. Did you distribute the fliers? Any sign of your brother?"

"Yes, widely and no nothing. Can't I at least have some french fries?"

"No, not another bite for you until dinner young lady. Do you have a fever?" Linda put her hand against Louise's forehead. "I guess not. You're probably just all nervous about your brother. Don't worry about it, I'm sure he's okay somewhere. Why don't you go up to your room and do your homework?"

"Fine mother you are, starving your own child like this."

"Just go to your room and rest now. I mean it. If you're still ravenous in the morning then I'm taking you right back to the hospital because they must have missed something."

Louise went upstairs and was almost to her own door when she noticed a flash of green light under Tina's door. She threw open Tina's door. "What happened?"

Tina quickly hid her lantern behind her bed with her right hand while waving with her left hand. "Who said anything happened? Everything's fine. It works okay. Nothing to worry about here."

"You're acting loonier than usual since the aliens abducted you Tina."

"Who said anything about aliens? There's no aliens."

Louise was about to continue the argument when her stomach rumbled. "Yeah, right." She closed Tina's door and went to the bathroom.

A few minutes later with her gut emptied and her hands washed she when to the kitchen and ate two bowls of breakfast cereal. She washed bowl and spoon to not leave any incriminating evidence behind.

Louise had just gone to her room when she heard her two parents climbing the stairs.

Bob knocked on Louise's door then motioned her to follow him inside Tina's room.

Bob closed Tina's door and stood there for a moment. "I'm afraid there's been an update that may concern Gene. Somebody saw a boy who may have been Gene walking towards the marina last night and now they've found some wreckage from Kurt's seaplane."

"But no bodies?" Tina asked

"No, no bodies. The Atlantic is a big ocean. Now I need you two girls to be strong for your mother. Please go sit with her in the living room while I make dinner."

"Okay Dad." Tina nodded to him, the grabbed Louise's arm after he left. "Can you cover for me tonight?"

"What? You want me to sit alone with Mom while she's like this? Why? What are you going to do?"

"Something important. Just trust me on this, Louise."

"No way. Your running off is what started all of this. If I have to put up with Mom then so do you."

"Please Louise."

"What is it? What's your great plan?"

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you."

"No dice. You owe me for nearly getting us both killed today." Louise pushed her older sister to the living room, where the girls sat on either side of their mother.

Twenty minutes later Louise fidgeted at the smell of dinner being prepared in the other room. "Come on, Mom. It's no use flipping channels. All the local news stations have their commercials at the same time."

"Mom, can I be excused to do my homework?"

"Tina, 'homework'? Okay sweetie, just wait until after dinner. One moment. Get the atlas out."

"Yes Mom."

"Here," Linda flipped through the pages and stopped on a map of the East Coast, "... we are, and here off the coast is where they found the wreckage. You took navigation in the Thundergirls, didn't you?"

"A little."

"Well, don't go too far in your 'homework', and take your compass."

"Yes Mom."

"What are you two talking about?"

"It's just Thundergirls stuff. I thought you weren't interested in the Thundergirls, Louise sweetie?"

"Dinner's ready."

Louise frowned at her mother, but decided to follow her hunger to the kitchen rather than argue the point.

A few minutes later Linda looked at Louise's empty plate. "Well I guess all that snacking didn't ruin your appetite."

"More please!"

"I think you've had enough for tonight, Louise."

"They didn't feed me at all in the hospital."

"You were only there for twelve hours and you've eaten enough for three days since."

"But Mom."

"No buts, young lady. Go to your room."

Louise waited in her room until everybody had settled down. She put on her hoodie again then carefully opened her door. Her hunger had settled down while she rested, but now she wanted answers. She opened Tina's door and found her sister missing and the window slightly ajar.

"Not this again." Louise closed the door behind her, and went to Tina's window. "Tina left by her window? What is she, a witch?"

Louise opened the window and looked up then down the wall. "No obvious footholds, but perhaps there's something hidden?" She leaned out the window and ran her hand along the smoothness of the wall.

Suddenly she was hit again by the sensation of the Earth turning around her. She closed her eyes then reopened them as she felt herself slipping. She cried out "No," but was cut off as her breath was stopped. No, not entirely stopped. It was the air itself that had changed and become impossibly dense. She raised her hands to her mouth but felt no obstruction. Clear air was suddenly as dense as pudding. Then she noticed that her own limbs were the only things moving. Even her fall down the side of the building had stopped.

Well, not completely stopped. She was still falling, only very very slowly. For what seemed like half a dozen seconds she slowly drifted down in a world without sound or motion. When her feet finally reached the ground she had to push with all of her strength for what seemed like a few seconds to slow herself down and come to a rest with her knees slightly bent. She relaxed and straightened up and as she did the sounds of the city returned, traffic and wind.

"It's me. I'm doing it." Louise started to run down the alleyway and as she did she focused on that same feeling. After each step she seemed to hang longer in the air with a longer period of effort pushing against the ground to launch herself floating in silence. She looked up and saw that she was about to run into a building. For what seemed like a few seconds she flipped around in midair to brace her feet against the wall. Then she pushed off at a right angle. She looked back at the way she had come and saw the red haze and yellow lighting following her for a short distance and fading off further back in her path.

She ran for what seemed like hours through the frozen city, but saw no sign of her brother or sister. As the hunger returned she headed back towards home and stopped just across the street from the front of their restaurant. She looked up at their apartment and saw her mother looking down at her. She slipped back into super speed, zipped around the block and bounced off the building walls back to Tina's window. She closed the window behind her, carefully opened Tina's door and stepped out.

"You shouldn't go through your sister's room like that."

"Oh Mom, there you are. I was just checking on Tina, but she seems to be missing."

"She's just worried about Gene. The same as you are. I can see how you digest your food so quickly. What's it like?"

"What's what like? My gut? I'm just hungry, that's all."

"It's okay. I'll make you a snack. You'll need a code name. How about the Scarlet Streak?"

"That sounds gross and bloodthirsty, but I think that whoever it is you're talking about will like it."

"Oh? Well I'm sure there will be no bunny hats for the Scarlet Streak."

"Mom!"

"Of course you, my daughter Louise, will get a replacement pink bunny hat. But the Scarlet Streak isn't anybody's daughter. She's somebody mysterious and unknown and so she isn't going to wear anything that reminds anybody of you. That's an impressive visual effect she's got and so I'll make her a costume that's mostly scarlet with little lightning streaks as accents, with a smooth headmask to minimize wind resistance. And until I've finished that she isn't going to stop, or start, anywhere anybody can see her. She'll just be a scarlet streak dashing on the wind. Be sure and tell her that, Louise."

"I'm sure she'll keep that in mind, Mom."


	3. Chapter 3

On Sunday morning Tina arrived yawning to the kitchen table.

"Up late doing your homework?" Her mother, Linda, asked over her shoulder while preparing scrambled eggs.

"I didn't find anything. Wasn't sure I was even looking in the right place."

"Well you'd better read that book I picked out before you try again."

"Thanks." Tina accepted the plate from her mother. "I'll find Gene. I promise."

"Well I'm sure that one of my girls will."

"Is that a race?" Tina's younger sister, Louise, grinned.

"Maybe."

Tina looked at her sister and their mother then shrugged and started on her breakfast.

"More please!" Louise held up her empty plate.

"Coming right up!" Linda cracked two more eggs for the skillet.

"More?" Bob asked his wife as he put down the newspaper. "Weren't you worried about Louise eating herself sick?"

"Does she look sick, Bobby? Our little girl is just hitting her growth spurt. You wouldn't want to stunt her, now would you?"

"Yeah, Dad. Listen to Mom. She knows best."

"Louise I never thought I'd ever hear you say that. I guess this crisis is just bringing us all closer together."

"Now Bob, you and Tina go downstairs and open up while I teach Louise how to sew a new hat for herself."

"What? Why do I need to learn sewing?"

"I think you'll find it's a very useful skill. There's some things you just can't buy off the rack."

"Oh! Yeah. Let's get to that."

After the other two went downstairs Louise watched as her mother took sewing supplies out of the hall closet. "So, do we have a sewing machine?"

"Don't need it. Not when we have the world's fastest seamstress right here. Can't you move your hands as fast as you can your feet?"

"I suppose. I haven't really tried."

"So where did you go for those fifteen minutes last night?"

"Fifteen minutes? Was that all it was?"

"I heard Tina's window open and then your shout of 'No' was cut off so I checked all of your rooms. Don't you keep track of time while you're fast?"

"It's a bit of a blur."

"Oh, aren't you worried you'll run into something then?"

"No, each moment is sharp, really sharp. They just blend together and turn into distant memories."

"Hmmm, and what's it like when you move?"

"It's hard to get moving or stop moving, but in between I'm drifting and I fall really slowly down to the ground to take the next step. I do deep squats to bounce off building to turn around. The entire world is so still and quiet around me."

"Don't you get bored?"

"No. It feels like a lot of time has happened, but most of the details just slip away, with only a handful of sharp impressions."

"Ah ha! I get it now. This speed force, or whatever you want to call it is electrical not chemical. You are thinking and running with lightning. So you can use your short term memory, muscles and senses really really fast, but your chemical long term memory just can't keep up. You aren't going to die of old age before me, but you can't memorize a book in a minute."

"Huh? I can read street signs at super speed. That's how I found my way back here."

"Okay, list all the streets you passed."

"Uh."

"See? You can match patterns you already know, but you can't make a whole bunch of new ones all at once."

"Darn it!"

"Everybody has limitations sweetie. You just need to keep yours in mind. Now let's get started on your hat."

Linda measured and cut out the pink fabric then she had Louise sew one seam at normal speed and the second at super speed. "See how much more even your stitches are at super speed?"

"Why is that?"

"You're just repeating yourself exactly over and over again. You don't have time to think of new ways of doing it. That's why I made sure you knew where to stop before you started so you didn't just keep going. Now do this next seam the same way."

"Wait, I've got a super power that makes me dumb?"

"You're not dumb, Louise sweetie. You're not even slow. You're my kid who's always been the quickest wit. What you can't do is expect to outthink an entire roomful of people all on your own. So make them the dummies. Use shock and surprise to keep them from thinking and use misdirection like a magician to keep them all thinking the wrong thing. When they're all looking for which window you'll enter by you run in the door. Now do this seam exactly like the last one."

"Shouldn't I practice doing things completely differently each time?"

"Your ability to repeat exactly the same move faster than you, or anybody else, can think about it is a big advantage. You'll have machine gun punches or whatever. You need to build up these reflexes so that you can plan which reflex move to use at any given moment. Just don't run around shouting out which move you're about to do. That's dumb."

"I can't talk while speeding. The air's too dense."

"Let's work on that also."

Louise completed the pink bunny hat in five minutes and the double stitched costume for the "Scarlet Streak" in less than an hour. This included snack time, a bathroom break and learning how to listen and speak at super speed, with what Linda called a suitably chilling effect.

"There's one more thing for you to master." Linda held up the completed suit.

"Some sort of combat move?"

"No, with the suit." Linda folded up the suit and pulled out two straps.

"It's a backpack also?"

"And you didn't notice that while sewing it?"

"How'd you plan this all out Mom?"

"When I was your age nobody ever saw my face because I was always reading a comic book. It's been my dream to have my own superhero team. Now you try folding the suit inside and out at normal speed. Then you need to be able to switch clothes back and forth faster than I can see. Okay?"

Sunday night as the Green Ranger returned early from another fruitless patrol she noticed a strange spark of red and yellow light dashing around the town. She nudged with her knees for Emerald to descend, but found nothing at a lower height. They flew back home and she was about to reenter her room by her window when she saw the lights on in the adjacent kitchen. She landed on the ground, willed the horse away and transformed back into her street clothes. Tina walked to the front of their building and used the key from her pocket to open the door and climb the stairs.

"Where did you go to?"

Tina stopped at her own door, turned and joined her sister in the kitchen. "Out looking for Gene."

"I didn't see you on the street."

"I wasn't on the streets. Walking the streets at night alone would be dumb."

"Well don't try to tag along with me. You'd just slow me down."

"Gene is either far away or well hidden."

"Was he taken by your alien friends, Tina?"

"Can't be, there was only one and he's gone now."

"So you do admit you were abducted by aliens!"

"What, who said anything about aliens? There's no aliens."

"Whatever they did to you was subtle. You act just like my Tina, only you know something."

"Oh, and who's to say you aren't the replicant? Running around shouting feed me all the time is a sure sign from the movies."

Louise looked down at her empty bowl. "Am I a replicant who's been programmed with Louise's memories? That would explain a few things."

"Stop it! All of this suspicion is tearing us apart. You are my sister. I've known you your entire life, Louise. We need to be strong and stick together, for Mom, Dad and Gene. There's some things I'm just not ready to tell anybody just yet. When I'm ready I'll tell you first."

"Okay, truce. Let's keep our secrets, for now. But if those aliens do return and bother you then please call for me first."

"I don't see how you could help with my problems."

"Promise me!"

"Okay, Louise. But only if you promise to call for me if you need help."

"Fine."

First thing Monday morning the sisters were summoned to Mr. Frond's office. He listened patiently to Tina's tale of van abduction, then got out of his chair to open the door for her. "Tina, the important thing is that you're safe. If you ever feel nervous and need to talk about your abduction then please feel free to come back to my office. But for now I need to deal with your sister."

Louise didn't like the sound of that. As she turned towards the door she caught the faint smell of freshly baked brownies. Before her accident she'd hardly paid attention to food and now she was like a shark, always hungry and able to smell one drop of blood in the water from miles away. Brownies? She smiled and switched to super speed.

She easily slipped under Mr. Frond's arm to jump from the floor of the corridor up to the wall and then off the ceiling over the heads of frozen students. Down the corridor she bounced off floors, walls and ceilings until she reached the cafeteria. A group of students were leaving breakfast so she drifted over their heads through the opened door.

Ms. Hildy was halfway through cutting the brownies apart. Louise grabbed the spatula and flipped out a corner brownie that was already cut on the other two sides. She went over for a plate and when she looked back she saw her brownie was headed towards the ceiling. She jumped up then off the ceiling to catch it on her plate.

She bounced off the far wall then glanced and saw that a corner of her brownie was about to be sliced off by the edge of the plate. She bit this off because she wouldn't need the whole brownie for her prank. Even a tiny bit of brownie centered just right in Frond's chair would pay off nicely.

She bounced over the same students at the door then noticed that the brownie was starting to bounce off the plate. She nibbled on the opposite corner to balance it then glanced up to time her bounce off the corridor wall.

She speed back the way she had come, dividing her attention between her route and the delicious brownie.

As she slipped back under Mr. Frond's arm she saw that he had started to look at her now empty chair. She lifted the plate and saw it was empty, except for a slight brownie smudge. Where had it gone? With nothing to prank with and time catching up, she gently put the plate on Mr. Frond's desk, resumed her seat and returned to normal speed.

Mr. Frond looked briefly at Louise then towards the clattering plate that had just appeared on his desk. "What was that."

"Oh that? Sorry I ate your brownie, Mr. Frond. I'm just nervous eating over the abductions of my siblings."

"What brownie?"

"Your brownie, the one you left on your desk." Louise pointed to the plate with her right hand while pulling a napkin out of her backpack to wipe her mouth.

"I didn't have a brownie."

"Well, did you see me bring one in? What's wrong Mr. Frond?"

"Never mind that." He closed the door, looked down at his chair then sat down in it across from Louise and folded his hands together. "Tell me why I shouldn't expel you."

"For what?"

"For what? For arson!"

"Arson? Me? Sorry, Mr. Frond, but you've got the wrong suspect."

"Oh, was there somebody else there when you started that fire?"

"I'm innocent and I can prove it." Louise reached into her backpack and withdrew a paper-clipped set of papers. "Here."

"Hmm?"

"As you can see the first page is a note from my Mom asking you to add my medical record to your files. And the rest is the doctor's report. Look at the cause of the incident. Consistent with lightning strike. But we're willing to forgive you."

"Me? What did I do, Louise?"

"You being the school. For operating in a building without proper lightning protection. I could have been killed by the strike or the resulting fire. Luckily I'm fine, but if you want to take things to court..."

"No, no. If you want to be a student that much I won't deny you. Just tell me why you were at the school Friday night?"

"I was looking for my big sister of course."

"Why did you think Tina might have been at the school?"

"Where else could she have run off to? It was the only logical choice."

"You win for now, Louise. Get back to your classes, but I'll be watching you."

"Good luck with that." Louise picked up her new scarlet backpack and held out her hand. "Pass please."

"Pass?"

"To inform my teacher of the reason for this unnecessary delay. Hurry up or I'll miss the rest of first period."

Louise walked down the coordidor and read a note on the science lab door that it was closed and that class was being held in the cafeteria.

"Oops!" She turned and headed back the way she'd came.

When she got to the cafeteria she saw Ms. Hildy standing on a chair to retrieve the spatula, which had its blade lodged in the ceiling.

"Oops!"

"Is that all you have to say for burning down the lab, Miss Belcher?"

"That wasn't my fault, Coach Blevins. I was struck by lightning. I'm the victim here."

"Today's lesson is on electrical conductivity. Unfortunately our materials and equipment were destroyed in the fire, so we'll illustrate the principles on Louise. Please show us what you were doing when you were hit by lightning."

"I heard the thunder outside so I turned to the window like this and bang, struck by lightning."

"Hold it right there." Coach Blevins measured the distance between Louise's head and the cafeteria window then started to make calculations on his clipboard.

When she returned to the cafeteria for lunch it first seemed that she'd have the table alone with her sister, but then two boys sat across from Tina.

"Tina, Jimmy Jr. told me about your missing brother. If you need a shoulder to cry on you can use mine anytime."

"Hi Jimmy Jr. You needn't have bothered Zeke with my troubles."

"Don't blame him, Tina. You know how us bros are."

Suddenly two boys sat down, on either side of Louise. She glanced at them then started to reach for her tray. "Sorry, I didn't mean to come between you two. I'll move."

"Don't. You're in just the right spot, right Andy?"

"Right Ollie."

"And why is that?"

"We heard about your not eating at home."

"So we brought extra."

Andy and Ollie opened their larger than usual lunch bags and started to put items onto Louise's tray.

Millie Frock sat down across from Louise. "Hi."

Louise didn't answer, but just continued to eat her own lunch and the offerings from the Pesto twins.

"You're really pigging out today." Millie pointed at Louise with a french fry.

Louise grabbed the french fry out of Millie's hand and ate that also.

Millie took a bite out of her next french fry and held that up. Louise grabbed and ate that.

Millie held out a french fry on her palm. Louise leaned forwards and licked it up.

Millie leaned forwards with a french fry dangling from her lips. Louise sat back and chugged some milk.

Millie studied Louise for the rest of lunch period as Andy and Ollie hand fed the Belcher girl.

After fourth period Louise headed for the bathroom and Millie followed to use the next stall.

"You've changed, Louise."

"You haven't, Millie."

"What's it like to be struck by lightning?"

"There's a bright flash and then you pass out or die. You should try it sometime."

The girls finished their business and went to the sinks to wash their hands.

"Louise, don't your parents fed you enough? You could come by my place tonight for dessert on me. My parents won't be home until late and I'm sure they'll be fine if you stay over. Our bathtub is big enough for two. Do you like fruit salad and whipped cream?" Millie looked up from the sink and saw that Louise had vanished. "Where did she run off to?"

That evening Tina finished her dinner, took her dish to the sink then turned back to her family. "Dad, you know how you promised to get me a real phone. Well I could really use a phone that had the satellite maps so I can figure out where I am, I mean if I get abducted again."

"Yes, Tina. I'll do that, when I can. It's just that money's real tight at the moment, with Louise's hospital bill and everything."

Louise looked up from her seconds. "Like I asked to be struck by lightning! But, yeah get me a phone too, one that shows the shortest jogging distance to get places."

"Absolutely not!"

"Mom!" The two sisters complained in unison.

"Never mind that we couldn't find a phone fast enough for Louise or with a roaming plan that reaches far enough for Tina. Do you two really want the phone company tracking everywhere you go? Think about it."

"Wouldn't you want to be able to track the girls in case they're abducted?"

"Now Bob, wait for our girls to think about it."

"I guess I can wait a while. I'll go do my homework."

"Tina, before you go, I've got something for you two." Linda went into the Living room and returned with two folded paper maps. "Here you go Tina. Sure the resolution isn't as good as on a phone, but if you look from up high you'll find your way. And as for you Louise, see these numbers?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Those are the exit numbers on the highways. Just follow the highway for a few miles until you get to any exit, compare the number with the map and you'll know exactly where you are. Then you'll just need to count down or run until you see the exit you want. You can count, can't you?"

"I can count, Mom."

"That's my girl."

"Linda, why would Louise be running on the highway?"

"Bob, our little girls are growing up so fast. Before you know it they'll be driving all over the place. It's best if they can visualize their routes, even if it's just pretend for now. You wouldn't want them driving off-road everywhere. How would they find their ways?"

Tuesday afternoon after school the girls were helping their parents in the restaurant, even though they didn't have any customers at that moment, when Louise noticed a golf buggy stop in front. "It's Mr. Fischoeder."

Bob stepped out of the kitchen to greet their landlord at the door. "Mr. Fischoeder, what are you doing here today? Rent isn't due until next week, but if I could have a delay on that this month?"

"Medical bills, Bob?"

"Yes, exactly, you see."

"Which of your girls was it?"

"Me."

"You look fine, Miss?"

"Louise. It was a freak lightning strike. It passed over me and knocked me out. No big deal."

"What a brave young woman you are. And the other girl was abducted?"

"Yes Sir. I'm Tina."

"And your son is missing?"

"Yes, my little Gene."

"Yes, I'm very sorry to hear that. Linda, isn't it?"

"Uh hu."

"So Bob, I'm willing to forgive your rent payment and cover young Louise's hospital stay."

"Thank you, Mr. Fischoeder."

"If you do something for me, and yourself."

"What?"

"Ah, that's the press arriving now. Come along, all of you, and bring a photo of the missing lad."

Mr. Fischoeder led the Belchers to the front of the restaurant and waited for the press to get out of their vans and prepare their cameras and microphones. "Hello, I'm Calvin Fischoeder, the owner of this and many other properties in this area. I've invited you all here today for an announcement about a recent tragic event in our community. But first I must categorically deny the rumor that the green ghost haunting our skies and the red ghost seen on our streets are in any way a promotional gimmick connected to the mystery attraction new to Wonder Wharf this season."

"And what would that new attraction be, Mr. Fischoeder?"

"You'll just have to see for yourself when we open in two weeks time. Now for more serious news. This is my renter, Bob Belcher. Recently one of his daughters was abducted and his son is still missing. My announcement is that I am offering a reward of twenty thousand dollars for information leading to the arrests and convictions of these child abductors. I care very deeply for the safety of the children in our family friendly community and I will take any step I can to help keep them safe. Now Bob, can you please describe your missing son so that he can be returned to you?"

After the press conference the family returned to their restaurant. As there were still no customers, Bob took his afternoon bathroom break. Linda turned the TV on to news of an unfolding hostage crisis in downtown Atlantic City.

"Tina, why don't you take your sister and go resolve that please?"

"Mom! She'd only slow me down!" Startled that they'd said exactly the same thing the girls looked at each other.

"You haven't told each other? My little girls are about to have their first superhero team-up. It's so exciting."

"Tina has powers like mine?"

"No, they're not like yours. Tina is more of a shield to match your dagger."

"A dagger? Shouldn't that be a sword?"

"A dagger remains hidden and strikes before anybody sees it."

"Oh, I like that. But if Tina doesn't have my super speed then won't I get there long before she does?"

"Tina can fly really fast. She flew all the way from Oklahoma City to here in only three hours."

"I can't fly Mom, but I have a flying horse."

"A flying horse, is that all the aliens gave you?"

"No, I made up the horse."

"You're going to take me to Atlantic City on an imaginary horse?"

"Yes."

"Now run upstairs you two, get changed and get on your way before your dad finishes. We can keep this from Bob for now."

"Okay Mom."

Bob emerged from the restaurant bathroom just in time to hear his wife tell his daughters "Be sure and consult the maps I gave you." as those two ran out the restaurant door and around to the stairway entrance.

"What was that about?"

"The girls have a special project. We can do without them for a few hours."

"Yeah, the dinner crowd won't be in for a few hours. What are you doing?"

"Taking notes."

"From a news broadcast?"

"It's to help the girls."

Five minutes later the news broadcast cut back to the hostage crisis. "At first I thought it was a bird or a plane, but it's a girl riding a flying horse. Could this be Oklahoma City's Green Ranger? I thought I saw somebody else with her, but I don't see them now. Wait, I just heard a gunshot from inside the building. Quick, point the camera over there."

The camera moved to a pile of guns that was appearing in front of the cops. A red blur with scattered tiny lightning streaks in it traced a path from the pile back into the building.

Louise appeared next to the pile in her costume, her appearance and voice obscured by her use of super speed. "I think that's all of the guns. Sorry about the shot. One of them had his finger on the trigger, but I moved the gun barrel away from everybody."

"Excuse me, Miss. Are you with the Green Ranger, some sort of Red Ranger?"

"I'm the Scarlet Streak and don't you forget it!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Louise shouldn't come next time."

"What?" Louise turned from looking at the "stupid horse posters" in Tina's room to face her sister. "So I let one gun go off, harmlessly. You had dozens of shots going everywhere on your first mission."

"No, it's about the reporters." Tina sat at her desk, petting the tiny green horse projected onto her left palm with her right pinkie. "Talking in public is going to give us away."

Louise turned on her superspeed for a moment. "Does this sound like Louise Belcher?"

"Somebody who knows us is going to catch your word choices, but yes it is about the gunfire. You're not faster than a speeding bullet. I just can't."

"Can't what?"

"I can't handle losing another sibling. Not after Gene. And if something happens to me I want Mom and Dad to at least have you."

"Now, now." Linda waved her hands. "I'm sure your brother is fine. Your father's just finished dinner. Let's pretend to be a normal family for him."

The next morning after reading "The rest of the announcements" by herself, Courtney Wheeler went off script.

"This isn't funny you guys. You know how bad my heart is. I can't take losing Gene another time, not like this. Keep this up and it will kill me. Then I'll come back and I'll haunt you a..."

Louise stood up from her school desk in the temporarily assigned room for science class and addressed the suddenly silenced speaker. "Jeez, dramatic much? Yes, everybody misses Gene. We're doing everything possible or otherwise to find him. Bother us about it when you've got a lead!"

"Return to your seat Louise."

"Yes, Coach Blevins."

At lunch Millie Frock haggled for more french fries and so by the time she got to the Belcher table the spot across from her target was already taken by Courtney. Millie sat at the next table over and listened in.

"When was the last moment you saw Gene?" Courtney fidgeted with her locket.

"When Mom sent us to our rooms on the night of Tina's abduction." Louise pointed past Ollie at her sister. "I assume that Gene went into his room, but I didn't look back. He was long gone by the time I got out of the hospital." She then turned her head so Andy could feed her an apple slice.

After gym Millie followed Louise into the locker room shower.

"Back off or I'll scream."

"I don't think you will." Millie whispered back to Louise.

"And why not?"

"On the news last night I saw a girl hop onto a horse behind another girl and I thought to myself that I'd seen that move and that butt before. Now after watching you in gym I'm sure."

"What? Why would I be on the news?" Louise held her hands up and shrugged.

Millie took advantage of the uncovered view to let her eyes roam all over Louise's body. "You're eating for three or four but it doesn't show. Running off all those calories?"

"Now I'm going to start screaming about a crazy girl."

"Fine, be that way. I'll get proof and then we'll be spending a lot of time together." Millie took one last look then moved to an empty shower stall.

That afternoon the white golf buggy stopped again in front of the restaurant.

Bob met their landlord at the door "Mr. Fischoeder,did you get any word about Gene."

"No, nothing at all. It's like the lad has vanished from the face of the Earth. But last night I saw something extraordinary on the news. Could you bring your girls out here?"

"Girls."

"Yes, Dad?" "What is it?"

"Please turn around."

"What's up, Mr. Fischoeder?"

"Louise, how would you and your sister like to work at Wonder Wharf this summer? For minimum wage I'm afraid."

"Dad?" Tina asked over her shoulder.

"That's more than I can pay."

"That's the spirit Bob. Now come along girls, for your fittings."

"What's the job, Mr. Fischoeder?"

"Louise, you two are just about perfect to be our new mascots."

Mr. Fischoeder glanced at the two girls in the back seat through his mirror as they drove along. "Tina, how well can you see without those glasses?"

"Very little, Sir."

"We'll take care of that after this stop." He escorted them into a shop. "Ah Pierre, I have a bit of a challenge for you. Can you make these costumes for these two girls?"

"It will be no challenge at all."

"Let me see that." Louise took the piece of paper. "Got a pencil?"

"Yes?"

"The lightning patterns on the Scarlet Streak are off and the Green Ranger has a lantern symbol on her chest."

"How do you know so much, Louise?"

"Mr. Fischoeder, you know us kids. We're all big fans of superheroes."

After taking their measurements Pierre talked with Mr. Fischoeder about details such as leaving room for goggles.

Tina whispered to her sister. "Why are you doing this Louise?"

"Simple. If anybody accuses me of being the Scarlet Streak I can say I play the part every day, come down to Wonder Wharf and see us. Disguising as ourselves is the perfect disguise."

Back in the golf buggy Mr. Fischoeder pointed to a street sign two blocks down. "Louise, which street is that?"

"It's Elm street, Mr. Fischoeder, 300 block."

"And you're not wearing contacts?"

"Don't need them."

"Excellent. We'll get you red non-prescription googles when we get the green prescription googles for your sister."

"Why?"

"Because the Scarlet Streak's eyes glow red, just as the Green Ranger's glow green."

"They do?"

"And I thought you kids knew everything about superheroes. Tina, do you know how to ride a horse?"

"I've taken lessons, Sir."

"Very good. We'll pick out a horse later. I wonder if we can get one dyed green. Just for some promotional shots."

That evening Linda found Louise staring at her own reflection in the bathroom mirror with the lights off. "What's the matter, Sweetie?"

"Mom, do my eyes glow red?"

"Yes Louise, whenever you're using your power."

"Why can't I see it?"

"Hmmm. I think it's the time difference. The red stuff is when your muscles are moving at superspeed. You must be reflectively looking all around you, but when you're looking at yourself your eyes are still for that moment. You're fast, but light is faster."

"So I can't use my powers without people noticing?"

"Well you also get burly, from shifting around. You'd need to keep your eyes and body perfectly still. Maybe you could study yoga?"

During first period Thursday morning Ms. Selbo's voice crackled over the intercom. "Louise Belcher and Millie Frock please report to Mr. Frond's office."

Millie ran to catch up to Louise's quick stride down the school corridor. "I guess this is it? They've found out the secret of our love."

"Yeah, right."

"We don't have to keep it a secret."

Louise threw open Mr. Frond's door in Millie's face.

"Come in you two." Mr. Frond waited for Millie to close the door behind her and the two girls to sit down. "Millie, I've heard reports that you've been bothering Louise about her eating disorder?"

"That's not it, Mr. Frond."

"Then what exactly happened?"

"Louise is only eating more because she's training to be a better jogger. I was just worried about her running around town in the evenings by herself. What with all these abductions lately."

"Louise, is that what happened?"

"I'm just worried about my brother. That's all."

"And Millie is bothering you?"

"Yes, Mr. Frond."

"Millie, I'm ordering you to leave Louise alone for the next week. She's still coming to terms with her brother's disappearance and we have a no tolerance policy for bullying."

"Thank you, Mr. Frond."

"And as for you Louise, I think it's best to put your nervous energy to work. Ms. Schroeder is having tryouts to fill a position on the track team so please apply for that."

"I'm sure she'll set several new world records."

"Not one more word Millie. Now both of you return to class."

Ms. Schroeder looked up from her clipboard at the start of gym. "Louise, I have a note here that you're interested in track?"

"Not really. I've got work to do and you know I'm not a good runner."

"We are in a bit of a pinch here. Our star runner is out with a broken leg. If you could fill in this one time it'd at least give the other girls a chance to compete in the big match."

"Okay, Ms. Schroeder, but be prepared to be disappointed."

Louise started running down the track when Ms. Schroeder started the stopwatch. Then she felt it, her speed force rising to the call. No, no, no, she thought, not now. She pushed it down and concentrated on maintaining a steady, no extra effort pace. She reached the hundred yard mark, stopped and turned around. "See, it's no good."

Ms. Schroeder was looking the other way. "Coach Blevins, can I borrow your stopwatch?" Then she turned back. "Sorry Louise, but I'm going to have to ask you to do that again."

"Fine, whatever. Let's get this over with."

Louise ran the hundred yards again, putting in just enough effort to not be a slacker, while keeping her speed force at bay. "Satisfied now?"

The two coaches where looking at the second stopwatch as Louise walked back to them.

"Louise, you shouldn't be at this school."

"That's what Mr. Frond keeps telling me, Ms. Schroeder."

"Run this one match for us and we'll start the paperwork to transfer you into the Olympics program."

"What?"

"That wasn't a world record, but for your age these timings are astounding."

"Let Louise run. She'll be our winning streak!" Millie shouted from the bleachers.

"Do I get to run with the bunny hat, Ms. Schroeder?"

"No, I'm afraid that's not permitted."

"Deals off then. Can't run without my lucky bunny hat."

That afternoon Mr. Fischoeder returned to Bob's Burgers and was seated at a table across from Tina and Louise. He watched Louise attack a cheeseburger, then turned to Tina. "She certainly can pack those away, can't she. Now for the schedule. We can have you two try on the outfits on Saturday then we do the promo shots on Sunday."

Ms. Schroeder entered the restaurant. "Mrs. Belcher, I have to talk to you about your daughter."

"Which one? What did they do this time?"

"It's Louise. Her running speed is phenomenal. Can you please ask her to join the track team?"

"I'm sorry, but my little Louise needs to get ready for her summer job. She's got no time for extracurricular activities."

"Mrs. Belcher, I think your daughter has an excellent chance at the Olympics program."

"No, thanks. We're not interested. Right, Louise?"

"Right Mom."

"It's not about the personal fame. She'd be helping our country and she'd get a full scholarship to a top university."

"No, she's got more important stuff to do right here."

"Can I at least leave you a brochure about the program?"

"If you like, but you're wasting your time here."

That evening Bob was reading the brochure at the kitchen table. "Linda, you know how hard it would be to get even one kid through college, and this full scholarship would really help. What would it hurt for Louise to try out?"

Linda didn't look up from the pasta she was stirring. "Bob, if Louise wanted to she could go to that Olympics and come home with all of the gold medals. But is that what she really wants to do?"

"Not weightlifting Mom. It was all I could do to budge Tina's fat ass."

"I'm not the one who's eating like a pig."

"You watch your language, young ladies. So what did happen at school today? Did you cheat, Louise?"

"No, I was so focused on not cheating that I didn't pay attention to what I was doing. It didn't seem like I was putting any effort into running."

"So your special training is paying off?"

"Wait, what training?"

"Bob, our little girls have taken up running in the evenings."

"Wait, what, why? After this abduction? Oh my god you've got to be kidding me."

"They're looking for their brother, Bob. And you two know what to look out for now, right?"

"Yes Mom."

"Anybody who tries to grab me is going to do without that hand from now on."

"Now Louise don't go maiming anyone. You're not so weak that you have to resort to that."

"This is insane! Our girls can't walk by themselves at night. That's it. I'm going with you two."

"You really want to go jogging after spending all day on your feet Bob? Okay, you two, after dinner walk with your dad down to the park. When Bob collapses on a park bench Louise can show him how well she can run, without cheating."

"Are you sure that's okay Mom?"

"Louise, you said yourself that you're worried about keeping the cheating under control. So it's good to practice running without it."

"Wait, what's the cheating? Louise, are you using drugs?"

"Of course not Dad."

That night when Bob returned home he staggered up the stairs to the master bedroom, tossed off his jogging outfit and collapsed in bed.

"Did you try running, Bob?"

"Linda, watching Louise was exhausting enough. She really is running off all those calories. Given any sort of head start nobody is going to catch her. So why not have her try out for the Olympics?"

"Bobby, you've seen what happens to those child athletes. Do you really want to push her into a life like that just so she can make a living endorsing breakfast cereal and jogging shorts? Didn't you want her to have a normal childhood?"

"You're right Linda. I'm not going to be a monster like my dad. So what are we going to do about college?"

"Louise can wait until high school then get an athletic scholarship to college. Until then she can just be an ordinary kid."

The next day the two girls were walking home from school when Louise looked off to the east. "Are we going to have somebody abducted in a light bubble every Friday?"

"What?" Tina tried to look in the same direction, but saw only clouds.

"Wait, it's coming this way. And it's a yellow bubble this time."

"Is it ascending or descending?"

"Looks like it's coming down for a landing."

"Let's change. Take my backpack home." Tina handed her backpack to Louise.

"Why me?"

"You need to get your books out of your backpack also."

"Okay. Meet you right back here in ten seconds." Louise vanished, leaving behind only her trademark scarlet streak with lightning flashes that faded in a fraction of a second.

Tina looked around then stepped into an alleyway. There was a flash of green light then Emerald flew up out of the alleyway, carrying the Green Ranger on her back.

The Scarlet Streak bounced between buildings to reach the rooftop below her sister. "Looks like he's headed to Wonder Wharf. Meet you there."

"Wait, don't rush into..." Tina realized she was only talking to herself and urged her imaginary horse to follow her sister to the wharf.

The Scarlet Streak leapt over the locked gates and passed under the Wonder Wharf sign to enter the park. She stopped twenty feet in front of a man in a yellow and black outfit. He could almost have passed for human with his black mustache and receding widow's peak hair, if it wasn't for his red skin, bulbous head and pointed ears.

Is this the alien Tina talked about? Louise wondered, then addressed him with her voice distorted by superspeed. "I'm sorry but the park isn't open for the season yet. Please return in two weeks."

"I am not here to be amused child. Hand me the ring of Abin Sur."

"Is that what his name was?" The Green Ranger stopped next to her sister.

"Excellent. Hand me that ring."

"Why?"

"Because I must destroy the Green Lanterns. Hand over the ring and you have the word of Sinestro that no harm will befall yourselves or your planet. Indeed I will return to greatly advance your race once I have conquered this galaxy."

"Don't destroy my green lantern."

"The Green Lanterns. The wielders of those green rings who serve the Guardians of the Universe."

"I like The Green Ranger better. It sounds a lot more active."

"The TV reporter came up with that one." Tina turned back to Sinestro. "These Guardians sound like good guys."

"Really? What part of recruiting ignorant children to fight for them is good? This galaxy is riven by chaos which the Guardians support by spreading their rings so widely. I will bring order and stability. You are no match for me child. Surrender the ring and go home to your parents."

"No! This ring was entrusted to me and you can't have it."

"Very well. Let it not be said that I did not warn you." Sinestro raised his left fist and a beam of yellow energy shot from his ring to pass under the Green Ranger, disrupting the horse she was seated on.

She landed on her butt. "Emerald, you've killed her!"

"How delusional are you? Your constructs were never alive in the first place."

"Oh right." The Green Ranger re-summoned Emerald and had just gotten back on her horse when Sinestro disrupted it with another light beam.

Suddenly a yellow bubble appeared around Sinestro. He glanced at the source of the loud humming noise behind his back. "Silly girl, if your first punch is too weak to penetrate my shield then the next thousand will do you no good as my defenses regenerate at the speed of light!"

The Scarlet Streak backed up fifteen feet and rubbed her hands.

"See, you're only hurting yourself."

She vanished, leaving only a brief scarlet streak behind her.

Sinestro turned back to the Green Ranger. "Now that your little friend has run off let's end this."

The Green Ranger held up her left fist. "Restrain him!"

"What?" Sinestro summoned spikes of yellow light to pop the dozen green zombies that had appeared around him. "While you have no skill or force behind your creations your artistic skill is impressive. Were those grotesque shapes meant to frighten me? You have potential, but perhaps you are wearing the wrong color of ring."

Bam!

Sinestro looked behind him as The Scarlet Streak hopped away at super speed on only one leg. "You may be fast little one, but you're nowhere near strong enough to overcome my defenses."

He turned back to her sister. "Let me show you the true power of the yellow ring, the power to summon a foe's greatest fear!"

A half dozen yellow shapes surrounded the Green Ranger, each resembling the rotting bloated corpse of a drowned Gene.

"No! I didn't mean to. I tried to save you!" The Green Ranger collapsed to the ground.

Bop! Bop! Bop! Bop! Bop! Bop! Bam! The yellow shapes were all popped by a baseball bat that then shattered a few inches in front of Sinestro's face.

"Yes, complex shapes are more fragile than a simple shield." Sinestro watched the Scarlet Streak rub her palms. "You two have spunk. Renounce the Guardians girl, and join me. Come with me to Qward for your own yellow ring and I will train you in the arts of fear. Once we have defeated the Guardians this planet and the entire sector around it will be yours to do as you will, subject only to my call. You can bring your sidekick also. I will train her as well for speedsters are often useful. And I will provide her with weapons of actual use. Not a ring I'm afraid, as that would be like plugging a battery into an alternating current circuit."

"No, I'll never join you!" the Green Ranger ran at Sinestro and swung a baseball bat of green light at him, which shattered against his shield.

"Enough of this." Sinestro projected a yellow energy tentacle that wrapped around the Green Ranger, then turned at a metallic whine that ended with a snap. He saw the handle of a butcher's knife fall to the ground next to a blade that had snapped off, with it's blunted and bent over tip glowing red hot.

"You attack me with a knife? What a primitive world this is. Yes, go run off again. You are of no importance." He turned back to the Green Ranger. "I ask one final time girl. You can surrender the ring or join me, but you have too much potential to leave you with the Green Lanterns. It would pain me to slay such an artist of fear so I will try to spare you life when I do what must be done."

"Never, I'll never join you."

"Very well." Sinestro moved the yellow energy tentacle to force the Green Ranger's left hand above her head, then summoned a yellow energy blade.

The blade swung towards the Green Ranger's wrist and was caught by a golden lasso.

"I think that girl needs to keep her hands to herself!"

"What?" Sinestro turned to the source of the rope and voice, a raven haired woman of impressive physique who wore red and white nearly knee high boots, a leotard that was red and white on top and blue with white stars on the bottom, and golden bracers, belt and tiara.

"Another nuisance?" He sent a shower of yellow needles at her, but she deflected these with her left bracer as she coiled up her golden lasso with her right hand.

With a flash of green light Tina forced the yellow energy tentacle off of herself, dropped to the ground and ran off.

"Come back here girl!" Sinestro flew after the Green Ranger, but then turned back and threw up a hasty shield.

The star spangled woman's fist crashed through Sinestro's shield and impacted on his face with such force that he was thrown back into the can knock down booth. She ran towards him, but he quickly flew out of reach.

"You wretch!" Sinestro held his nose with his right hand as he kept the ring on his left pointed at her. "Don't think you've seen the last of me." He flew up into the sky.

She watched the sky for a few seconds then turned and ran behind the bearded woman building, from which there was a sudden flash of golden light.

The Green Ranger and the Scarlet Streak ran after her and stopped when they saw who was there.

"Gene, you're back!" Tina looked around. "Did a wonderful woman just run past here?"

"Wonder Woman?" Gene smiled. "I like that! I'll use that name."

"You're Wonder Woman?" The Scarlet Streak managed to convey utter disbelief through her speed force distorted voice.

"Louise, is that you? You've changed."

"I've changed?" Louise resumed her normal voice as she dropped out of super speed. "How can you be that woman?"

"The goddess Athena made me a body out of magical clay to fight evil."

"But why a woman?" Tina asked.

"I've spent the last week training with the Amazons on Paradise Island and it wouldn't be a paradise if men were allowed there. Anything happen while I was gone, besides everybody turning into superheroes? So what will we call ourselves, The Belcher League?"

"We're keeping our identities secret." Tina transformed back into her street clothes. "Let's make that the Justice League."

-HJC


End file.
